{Photo by tunnelarmr}

July, 2008 ~ Issue # 009

Happy Fourth of July!

Of course, Independence Day would be meaningless if it wasn't for the brave men and women who serve (and have served) this country without complaint across the world - AND the brave wives and children who stay behind.

My husband Cameron and I work hard to point out military people to Lauren and Elena, thanking them for their service. We use national holidays to teach them about the flag and the many blessings we have as Americans.

Are you serving in the Armed Forces?
~ THANK YOU ~

Is your loved one serving in the Armed Forces?
~ THANK YOU ~

We'd love to add him/her to our prayer list with the kids. We point out the places on our little globe, and then pray for continued safety and well-being for the soldiers serving there.

• Featured Article: Using Infant Sign Language to Boost Development
• Hottest Coupon Codes for July for great baby savings!
• Heather's Hint of the Month: (Clue: Actually get to enjoy the fireworks this year!)
• A grilling meal for the entire family (even baby!)
• Tori Spelling, Jessica Alba, and other new celebrity parents.
• July fun and games for you and baby to play outside in the grass.
• Of course...all the baby product recalls from last month (including Babies "R" Us cribs!)

In Case You Missed It...

• The Best Baby Products for a New Mom
• Glass Baby Bottles: Keeping Your Baby Clear of Chemicals
• Your Infant Advice Line!
• Choosing the Best Baby Bottle
• Cesarean Stories: Share Yours, Read Others
• Share the EiR with Your Friends!
• Celebrity Baby News: Guess Who's Delivered!

Baby Browns

The Children's Place

Get 15% off your order of $75 or more at The Children's Place. This offer is expiring on July 5th, so hurry! Use coupon code: MSAT78. Click here to shop for your 15% off.

One Step Ahead

They are offering a great promotion until September 30, 2008. Get 15% off orders $100 or more with code BABY15P. Click here to see the amazing and unique baby products at One Step Ahead.

SitterCity

Using Infant Sign Language
to Boost Development

{Elena signs
she's "all done"}

At 11-months-old, my youngest, Elena, was successfully ruining every family meal. Her screams and tantrums were frustrating and disruptive to a normally enjoyable family tradition: dinner.

It was time for action. Time for teaching.

We had successfully used infant sign language with Lauren, but time had slipped away with us and we just hadn't gotten around to teaching Elena. She was nearly one and didn't know how to "talk" except through screaming and pointing.

Just as before, we kept it simple. We started with five basic signs (All Done!, More, Please, Thank-you, and Drink). Watch the videos to see these signs in action, and check out these resources on how to teach your infant to do them.

It worked like magic (as we knew it would!). Rather than screams, our empowered one-year-old was sharing her desires, and getting them met.

Using infant sign language starts an important parenting precedent. In this family, screaming and fits of rage don't get you things. Calmly, and politely asking (whether with lips or fingers) is how we share (and possibly receive) our desires.

{Photo by wka}

Independence Day Delights!

What Independence Day would be complete without the 'ole grill? Here's the standard grill menu for the 4th at my house.

As always, make sure you make the food as choke-proof as possible. Look over these guidelines in the "Including Your Baby in Family Meals" article.

• Split Chicken Breasts (Bone-in, Skin-In)
• Your Favorite BBQ Sauce (ours is Sweet Baby Rays)
• Uncle Ben's Brown and Wild Rice (90 second Microwave)
• Zucchini, red pepper, mushrooms, and Walla Wall onion (or another sweet onion)
• Watermelon (of course!)

Skewer the large chunks of zucchini, red peppers, onion and whole mushrooms on skewers. (If they're wooden, soak for 30 minutes first to avoid burning). After the chicken has cooked for 20 minutes, add the veggie kabobs.

Flip the chicken and cook for an additional 20 minutes with the hood down. The chicken is done with the juices are clear. Cook the rice in the microwave according to the directions and cut up the watermelon. Serve the chicken with your favorite BBQ sauce.

{Photo by B&K Weaver}

Instructions for the Chicken

If your baby has a few teeth and is around 12 months or older, you can dice the meat into small pieces and let her self-feed. The chicken should be extremely tender and juicy (why the recipe calls for bone-in, skin-on). It should easily chewable in her mouth.

Instructions for the Rice

Instructions for the Veggie Kebabs

• Zucchini ~ 7 months
• Red Pepper ~ 10 months
• Mushrooms ~ 9 months
• Onions ~ 9 months

If your baby is too young for finger foods, puree the veggies he can eat quickly and spoon feed them to him. If your baby can eat finger foods, just check which vegetables are okay at his age (see the above list) and finely dice them. If the veggies seem a little too slippery, roll them in a little flour to coat. This will prevent an accidental choking.

Instructions for the Watermelon

Here are the celebrity births announced in June.
• Richard Blais (Top Chef), a daughter, Riley, on May 29th

• Jeff Garcia (Tampa Bay Buccaneers), a daughter, Presley, on April 28th.

• Janice Lierberman (The Today Show), a boy, on May 30th.

• Vin Diesel (Fast and the Furious), a daughter on April 2nd.

• Jessica Alba (The Love Guru), a daughter, Honor Marie, on June 7th.

• Fred Savage (The Wonder Years), a daughter, Lily, on May 3rd.

• Jamie Lynn Spears (sister to Britney Spears), a daughter, Maddie, on June 19th.

• Tom Dumont (guitarist for No Doubt), a son, Rio Atticus on June 18th.

• Tori Spelling (90210), a daughter, Stella, on June 9th.

• Tamzin Outhwaite (The Fixer), a daughter, Florence, on June 19th.

• Matt Birk (MN Vikings), a son, Grant, on June 12th.

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Are you a celebrity-addict? Get updated on the latest Celebrity Baby News.

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In honor of the beautiful weather, all of the activities below can be done on a blanket outside, in the green grass, under the warm sun. Of course, always provide good sun protection for your baby while you're out there!

0-3 Months:
Hankie Wave




{Photo by NMoira}

Place your infant on her back on a blanket. Hold a scarf, hankie, or lightweight dish towel above her head about 12 inches. Bring the fabric close to her nose, then lift it farther away, then lower it, etc.

Babies closer to 3 months old may try to grab the cloth. If they success grab a corner, shake it a little. She's sure to giggle. The bright scarf creates a tickling breeze and intriguing visual object for her eyes to follow.

This activity stimulates her sense of touch (the slight breeze), her eye coordination, and enhances her listening skills.

3-6 Months:
Drop and Fall

Place your baby in a sitting position on the floor (or leaning, if she isn't quite sitting up). Show an infant spoon to your baby, letting her hold and feel it. Hold the spoon slightly higher than her eye-level and encourage her to watch as you drop it. Does she attempt to reach for the spoon?

Show the spoon to her again, say "Spoon". Hold it up and let it fall. Say "down" as you drop it. Repeat this several times, emphasizing "down". Hand the spoon to your baby. Does she try to drop or throw it? Let her try to drop or throw it again and again, repeating "down" when she drops it. Try using other objects as well.

This activity introduces her to the awareness of the concept of "down", helps with eye-hand coordination, encourages the desire to become independent, and helps her listen to the different sounds that objects make as they fall.


6-9 Months: Watch the Ball

Show your baby a small ball (roughly the size of his hand) and let him hold and feel it. Place the ball inside a zip-lock bag and close it securely. Use your finger to push the ball around inside the bag.

Tell your baby the ball is inside the bag, stressing the word "inside". Allow him to feel and push the ball around. Replace the ball with other objects.

This activity teaches eye-hand coordination, free exploration, and enhances his skill in keeping the eye on a moving target.


9-12 Months:
Popcorn!




{Photo by Brassard}

Take a blanket and have an older child (or adult) hold the other side so the blanket or towel is suspended between you.

Put some lightweight balls (or a beach ball) in the middle and shake the blanket at first lightly, then more vigorously.

This activity teaches cause and effect, as well as providing great giggling interactions with siblings!

12-18 Months:
Walk the Ladder

Lay a wooden ladder across the grass (not metal) . Don't have one? Space out some smooth pieces of wood, or other obstacles that will force him to step over.

Hold your baby's hand as she walks through the rungs, stepping carefully. After the trial walk, go to the other side of the ladder and call your baby's name, encouraging her to step over the rungs to reach you.

Praise her as she reaches the other side. As she improves, place toys in various spots within the ladder, encouraging her to bring them to you.

This activity builds up her coordination and balance, her gross motor skills development, her problem solving skills, and improves her visual scanning and depth perception.


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Eventually, he may begin to lose interest in playing these games. Don't force anything. If that seems to be the case, simply try out some of the infant activities in previous newsletters.

Several of these activities were adapted from Slow and Steady Get Me Reading: Weekly Activities from Birth Until Age Five. This book is available for purchase at the Essential Book Emporium.



Enjoy the Fireworks with Screams of Delight
Rather than Screams of Sadness

My poor mother. She didn't sit through a fireworks display until I was almost 5. The loud noises undid me every year and we always ended up in the car, watching behind the steering wheel. (It's just not the same!)

Prevent spending the night in a similar fashion by using a little forward-thinking. Dig through the winter clothes in the basement and bring along a pair of earmuffs. (Even old-fashioned headphones would work!)

He may protest at the beginning, but once the lights start flashing, and he manages to hear the first boom without them, you'll be able to slip them on and enjoy the whole display as a family - sans the screaming interruptions.



There have been 10 recalls since the last Merry Mother was published in June.

SAMPLE NEWSLETTER NOTE:
Recall Reports are available by request, or to subscribers only.

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Cribs Recalled

• Jardine Cribs by Babies "R" Us
• 2nd Nature Built to Grow Cribs by Stanley Furniture

See Recall Report #1: Dangerous Cribs

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Crib Mattress Recalled

• Mattress sold at Pottery Barn Kids

See Recall Report #4: Crib Bedding.

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Clothing Items Recalled

• Overalls by Sara Lynn Togs
• Camouflage Pajama Sets by the Children's Place
• Cadence-Lea and Trio-Lea Girl?s Sandals by Nordstrom

See Recall Report #16: Clothes, Shoes and Blankets

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Toy Items Recalled

• Pirates of Caribbean Sleeping Bags
• Tinker Bell Wands
• Yellow Sure Grip Paint Brushes
• Floppy Friends Horse Toys
• Merry-Go-Rounds from Toys R Us
• "Thunder Wolf" Remote-Controlled Helicopter Toys

See the 2008 Toy Recall Report

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New Recall Reports Added!

I have finished the Recall Section of the website. There will be only updates from now on, no new pages or reports. Here are the final reports I added this month:

• Recalled Car Seats
• Baby Food and Formula Recalls
The rest of the Recall Reports (all 18 of them!) can be found in your subscriber-only access page.


I hope you've enjoyed reading July's issue of The Merry Mother.

The next issue will be published on August 5th. So watch your Inbox!

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Add Your Comments!

I'd love to hear what you liked (or disliked) about this issue. Did your baby enjoy the activity of the month? Did your family rave about the meal? Leave your comments and thoughts for other readers to enjoy.

• Click here to add a comment of your own
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